“The boos were quieter than I expected.”
You didn’t win game one. The team lost. But the mentality hasn’t wavered.
The Dallas Mavericks will face the Boston Celtics in Game 2 of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, on Tuesday (Feb. 10).
In Game 1, the weight class difference between the two teams was evident. Dallas is the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference and Boston is the No. 1 overall seed in the league. The difference in 홀덤 power translated into the game and the outcome.
Boston shut down Dallas in man-to-man defense. Held Dallas to their fewest goals and assists of the playoffs. The game was decided early when Dallas pulled Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving with over five minutes left to play. It was an 89-107 loss for Dallas.
There are many reasons for the loss, but the biggest one is Irving’s struggles. Dallas relies heavily on Doncic and Irving. If either of them go down, their chances of winning are greatly diminished.
Doncic did his part with 30 points and 10 rebounds. The problem is Irving.
Irving struggled from the field, missing 12 of 19 shots for 12 points. He missed some open threes, especially with the game on the line.
In Game 1, Boston fans booed Irving every time he touched the ball. They have a history with Irving. In the past, he was a Boston player, but his results weren”t good. In fact, he was loud off the field, causing infighting in the team.
After moving to the Brooklyn Nets, he was even suspended for giving Boston fans the finger during the 2022 playoffs at TD Garden. The Boston fans’ booing of Irving was predictable.
Irving emphasized that the booing didn’t diminish his performance. “I actually thought the boos were going to be a lot worse at TD Garden. I expect the boos to be there in Game 2. The crowd will try to influence my play,” he said. ”It’s not the first time we’ve lost in Boston. I just don’t want to repeat the loss,” he said.
Irving is undeterred. “It’s going to be a fun series. It’s going to be a back-and-forth chess match,” he said, adding, ”I’ve got to turn the ball over more. It’s going to start with me setting the pace and getting easy shots,” he said, vowing to rebound in Game 2.